Tularemia
Last Reviewed: August 2026
What is tularemia?
Tularemia, also known as rabbit fever, is a rare and potentially serious infectious disease caused by the bacterium Francisella tularensis that can be associated with both animals and humans. Tularemia primarily infects wild animals like rabbits, hares, and rodents. Tularemia in humans is relatively rare in New York State.
Who gets tularemia?
People who spend time outdoors or handle wildlife face a higher chance of exposure, as do veterinarians and those working with birds of prey (by handling rabbits as food for the birds).
How is tularemia spread?
People can become infected in several ways including skin contact with infected animals, bites from infected deer flies or ticks, or handling or eating insufficiently cooked rabbit meat. Less common means of spread are drinking contaminated water, inhaling dust from contaminated soil or landscaping, or handling contaminated pelts or paws of animals.
What are the symptoms of tularemia?
The symptoms of tularemia vary and depend upon where the bacteria enters the body. When it enters through the skin, tularemia can cause skin lesions and swollen glands. Ingesting the bacteria may cause a throat infection, intestinal pain, diarrhea and vomiting. Inhaling the bacteria may cause a fever and pneumonia-like illness. Pneumonia can also occur when other forms of tularemia are left untreated and the bacteria spreads to the lungs.
How soon do symptoms appear?
Symptoms generally appear 3 to 5 days after exposure, but symptom onset can range from 1 to 21 days.
What is the treatment for tularemia?
Antibiotics such as doxycycline are effective in treating tularemia.
Does past infection with tularemia make a person immune?
Long-term immunity will follow recovery from tularemia, but reinfection has been reported.
What can be done to prevent the spread of tularemia?
- Avoid tick and deer fly bites.
- Use Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)-registered insect repellents containing DEET, picaridin, IR3535, Oil of Lemon Eucalyptus (OLE), para-menthane-diol (PMD), or 2-undecanone. Always follow product instructions.
- Wear long pants, long sleeves, and long socks to keep ticks and deer flies off your skin.
- Remove attached ticks promptly. More Information about tick-borne diseases is available here: Diseases Carried by Ticks.
- Don't drink untreated surface water.
When mowing or landscaping:
- Before mowing, check your lawn for animal carcasses and wildlife nests.
- Consider using a mask during mowing and other landscaping activities.
If you hunt, trap, or skin animals:
- Use gloves when handling animals, especially rabbits, muskrats, prairie dogs, and other rodents.
- Cook game meat thoroughly before eating.
